Monash College magazine - Edition 1 Edition 1 | Page 4

M C A day in the life of Sunny A new way to learn Monash College students work hard. Monash is a top-100 university and is home to some of the world’s best scholars and business leaders. The students’ school day is filled with classes, assignments and class preparation. To ensure they are prepared, we employ world-leading teaching strategies to engage them in their studies. The Associate Director of Transition, Learning and Innovation, Anne Dwyer, shares some of the ways our programs are designed to actively engage students. At Monash College we are committed to providing students with learning experiences and a learning environment that prepares them for university. Our academic programs combine curriculum and modern teaching techniques to ensure students are active, engaged learners. This involves using technology to enhance students’ learning. One technique, blended learning, means students learn through a combination of online, mobile and face-to-face activities. This integration allows students to have a personalised learning experience through self-reflection, interaction with their peers, as well as instruction and guidance from their teacher. 2 Country: China Program: Diploma of Arts Destination degree: Bachelor of Arts Lives: Box Hill Favourite place in Melbourne: Degraves Street, for coffee. I love the coffee in Melbourne! 7:30 am Have you ever wondered what a typical day at Monash College is like? Diploma student Sunny Liu shares her day with us. Time to wake up. I check the weather (it’s always changing), eat breakfast and rush to catch the 8.15am number 733 bus. 8:50 am I make it to campus with just enough time to meet my friends and grab a coffee before my first class starts at 9am. I see one of my teachers on the way in and stop and say hello. 11:00 am I have 15 minutes’ break before I start my second class of the day – media and culture. Today we are discussing media ownership and regulation. Thankfully, I did my homework on the weekend and spent some time watching Australian TV news stations and reading newspapers, as well as completing the pre-reading. 12:45 pm Lunch time! I meet my friends outside the common room and decide to walk over to the campus centre for lunch. There are so many options for lunch; we decide on sandwiches and sit outside on the lawn and chat about the weekend. Another technique, the ‘flipped classroom’, promotes student-centred and independent learning. Students have 24/7 online access to the curriculum and learning resources, and can complete activities before, during and after class. As a student, you may be instructed to complete a series of learning activities, such as watching a video, reading an article or completing a quiz, before you attend your class. This will allow you to develop your understanding of theories and concepts before joining in class discussions. It is in class where you will explore the concepts and apply the theory you have learned in an environment that is highly interactive with teachers and your peers. Feedback is immediate. Research has shown that this style of teaching promotes a deeper learning and understanding of complex theories and concepts. At Monash College, we actively promote the development of communication, collaboration, learning and thinking, and leadership skills. By providing a learning environment where students work in groups, complete activities in class, and ask and respond to questions raised by teachers and other students, Monash College is preparing students to be articulate, confident and successful citizens. About Sunny Rohan Bates, the Diploma of Business teaching and learning leader, at work in the ‘flipped classroom’ style. 3:00 pm Third and final class of the day. We are given our first assessment task, an essay on moral panic. I decide to stay back after class and chat with my ѕ